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Jewish group seeks to ban Israeli auction of Nazi memorabilia

Belgium
A prominent European Jewish group on is demanding for Israel to ban an auction offering Nazi memorabilia, which is set to take place in the country.
The European Jewish Association filed a cease and desist letter on Wednesday against the Israeli auction house “Pentagon,” which is offering several Holocaust-related items for sale to the highest bidder.

זוג גלויות נאציות שעומדות למכירה, החל מ-50 דולר

Nazi postcards from World War II on sale at the auction
(Photo: Bidspirit)
The auction includes items such as a Jewish passport, Nazi leaflets, Nazi stamps, as well as an Austrian Nazi cigarette box with a relief of an eagle emblem and a swastika, with prices ranging from dozens to hundreds of shekels.
Pentagon’s controversial auction comes weeks after Israel’s court suspended an unrelated auction of a partial tattoo kit billed as having been used on inmates at the Auschwitz death camp, following outcry from Holocaust survivors.
“The State of Israel must enact a law against auctions of Nazi memorabilia,” wrote the head of the EJA, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, in his appeal to both the Justice Ministry and Yad Vashem.
“My association is working with heads of state, ministers and senior members of parliament in EU countries, in order to prevent the cultivation of the Nazi heritage by putting such despicable items for sale at a high price.

סרט בד של עובד במחנה הריכוז דכאו הועמד למכירה

A canvas band of a Dachau concentration camp employee on sale at the auction
(Photo: Bidspirit)
“But shamefully, it seems that in the Jewish state of Israel, there are those who do not mind selling these items to the highest bidder,” wrote Margolin.
He further suggested a legislative outline to “end the despicable phenomenon of making money, while belittling the memory of the Holocaust.”

גלויה נדירה של הצורר אדולף היטלר, החל מ-50 דולר

Postcard with Adolf Hitler on it
(Photo: Bidspirit)
The Justice Ministry has yet to provide a response to the EJA’s appeal.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1iurwzoy

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Belgium

Despite European Jewish leaders’ protests, watch belonging to Hitler auctioned in the U.S.

’’The items only give succour to those who idealize what the Nazi party stood for or offer buyers the chance to titillate a guest or loved one with an item belonging to a genocidal murderer and his supporters,” wrote Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of Brussels-based European Jewish Association (EJA) in a letter co-signed by 34 leaders of Jewish communities in Europe – write Yossi Lempkowicz.

Despite protests by European Jewish leaders, a gold watch belonging to Hitler was sold by an American auction house for over €1 million. 

The Huber timepiece has a swastika design, as well as the initials A H. It was purchased by an anonymous bidder.

The auction took place on Friday despite the call by 34 European Jewish leaders on Alexander Historical Auctions house in Chesapeake City, Maryland, to cancel the auction.

Among other Nazi items auctioned were a dog collar belonging to Eva Braun’s terrier, Wehrmacht toilet paper and cutlery and champagne glasses of senior Nazi figures.

 

The auction house’s president Bill Panagopulos, dismissed the protests. He said:  “What we sell is criminal evidence, no matter how insignificant. It is tangible, real in-your-face proof that Hitler and Nazis lived, and also persecuted and killed tens of millions of people. To destroy or in any way impede the display or protection of this material is a crime against history.’’

But Jewish leaders, who sent a letter to the auction house condemning the sale, rejected the claim.’’The items only give succour to those who idealize what the Nazi party stood for or offer buyers the chance to titillate a guest or loved one with an item belonging to a genocidal murderer and his supporters,” wrote Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of Brussels-based European Jewish Association (EJA) in the letter co-signed by 34 leaders of Jewish communities in Europe.

He added, ‘’the sale of these items is an abhorrence. There is little to no intrinsic historical value to the vast bulk of the lots on display. Indeed, one can only question the motivation of those buying them. Europe suffered egregiously because of the perverted and murderous ideology of the Nazi party. Millions died to preserve the values of freedom that we take for granted today, including almost half a million Americans. Our continent is littered with memorial mass graves and the sites of death camps.’’

Over the last years, the European Jewish Association has protested several auctions of nazi items.

Alexander Historical Auctions had already faced similar rebuke for previous sales,  including one that featured the personal diaries of notorious Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.

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Belgium

Barcelona Chief Rabbi to Jews: Get Out, Go To Israel

“These calls to immigrate, which were made by other Israeli officials as well, were criticized by many European Jewish leaders. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, director of the European Jewish Association, argued that encouraging Jews to leave Europe “severely weakens and damages the Jewish communities that have the right to live securely wherever they are.”

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Belgium

German Football Association president urged to resign after Nazi remark

The remark triggered a storm of criticism and Keller has since apologized

German Football Association (DFB) president Fritz Keller faced calls to resign on Sunday after he sparked outrage by comparing his deputy to a Nazi judge.

Presidents of the DFB’s regional associations, which run Germany’s semi-professional and amateur leagues, announced after weekend crisis talks that Keller had lost a vote of confidence and has been “asked to step down from his position.”

DFB general secretary Friedrich Curtius was likewise asked to vacate his role after losing a confidence vote.

The turmoil comes after Keller in a recent meeting likened DFB vice-president Rainer Koch to Roland Freisler, the infamous head of the Nazi party’s court in the 1940s.

Freisler was also a participant at 1942’s Wannsee Conference, where it was decided that 11 million Jews should be exterminated.

The remark triggered a storm of criticism and Keller has since apologized to Koch, acknowledging that his words were “totally inappropriate, notably towards the victims of Nazism.”

Keller ruled out stepping down over the incident, however. Koch has not said that he has accepted the apology.

In a statement, the leaders of the DFB’s five regional and 21 state associations called Keller’s Nazi reference “completely unacceptable” and said they condemned it “in the strongest possible terms.”

“The president’s comments are incompatible with the principles and values of the associations,” they added.

According to the statement, Keller and Curtius have asked for time to consider the resignation requests.

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